Take Courage, My Heart

Chapter Thirty-Four

"Jesse, can you please explain what is going on?" Mom asked me moments after Vincent hung up the phone. My heart was still beating loudly in my chest, but no tears were running down my face anymore.

The phone in my hand buzzed and I looked down, seeing a text with an address staring back at me. The date and time inputted next to it, for when I was supposed to be there to get picked up by Jonathan, about six hours from now.

Something sour settled in my stomach as I thought over my Mom's inquiry. What was going on.

Leander hadn't really said anything yet. He had let go of me but was still standing by my side. His eyes were glazed over, and he was looking off in the distance, and for the first time, I was relieved to not have his attention on me. What I had asked of him– what he had given up for me was eating me up from the inside out.

"Gerald Turner sold me to Vincent, the vampire who is now holding Adam and Caleb hostage. The only reason I survived him was because Leander, Annerose, Ezra, and Keisuke saved me. The only reason I survived was because I was turned into a vampire, a fact that angered Vincent and made him take Adam and Caleb. So, that is what is going on, and if you excuse me now, I have to go and free my brothers," I said, my voice wavering more than once, thick and heavy with fear and anxiety.

"Who is Gerald Turner?" Ben asked, his voice low but clear in the quiet living room. A twisted smile pulled my lips back and I clicked my tongue, tears threatening to roll down my face. Annerose's face went soft at the sight, and I quickly took my gaze away from her in order to not get even more emotional.

"Ask Mom and Dad," I told Ben and without a word I turned around and went upstairs, heading straight to the bedroom where I had heard Leander's other doctor friend talking earlier. If I had to leave shortly I, at least, wanted to make sure Kevin was alright. Or at least not fully freaked out.

I was shaking when I opened the door to the bedroom, peeking inside before I noticed Frankie waving me in. Kevin was sitting on the bed, his knees folded and up against his chest. His arms were wrapped around his legs, his entire body shaking and covered in sweat. Both he and the doctor –a young-looking woman with round cheeks and freckles on the bridge of her nose– turned to look at me, with surprised and curious gazes respectively.

"Jesse?" Kevin breathed out; his tone shocked enough to answer any questions I had about whether he knew I had been involved in his rescue.

"Hi," I replied and cleared my throat immediately, hearing how wet the greeting sounded.

"What's going on?" Frankie asked, catching onto the implications behind my tone of voice. The doctor also looked worried, her eyes fleeting to Kevin and then back to me.

"Vincent took two of my brothers. He is asking for me in exchange. I have to go," I told Frankie. Her shoulders slumped and then her eyes flickered above and behind me. I sensed more than heard Leander hovering. I ignored him and instead approached the bed, tentatively and with a forced, but soft smile. "How are you feeling?" I asked Kevin, sitting down at the end of the bed.

"Confused? Tired?" his eyes, dark and wide, moved all over the room, going over Frankie, then the doctor and Leander at last. "Who are all these people, Jesse?"

"Well, when I left the Academy I ran into a vampire who had been called by Turner to pick me up," Kevin's eyebrows went high up on his forehead and he looked at Leander, his scent and heartbeat spiking in fear. "Not him. The vampire was Vincent, who has my brothers now. This–" I continued, pointing at Leander with my thumb– "is Leander. He saved me. He has been saving people for a lot of years. He killed Turner and he saved the people that were sold in the auction with you."